Iowa Corn Growers Association celebrates 50 years

Feb 17, 2017

Organization was formed in 1967

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

2017 marks an important year for the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA), as the organization is celebrating its 50^th anniversary.

The oldest corn growers’ organization in the United States, the ICGA started in 1967 to act as a voice for the state’s corn producers at both the state and federal levels.

And today’s members are as committed as the organization’s forefathers to advocate for corn farmers in Iowa.

“The world may be a different place since our inception, but the dedication of our members at the grassroots level and their engagement in policy development has remained unchanged,” Kurt Hora, ICGA president, said in a release. “Today, ICGA is home to nearly 7,500 corn farmer-members across the state and our pro-farmer advocacy remains the number one reason members join ICGA.”

Walter Goeppinger, the organization’s founder, is also responsible for helping organize the National Corn Growers Association in 1957. In 1959, he aided in the transportation of Iowa hogs to Yomanshi, Japan, after a typhoon destroyed many local hog operations.

According to ICGA, flying hogs to Japan also led to the creation of the U.S. Grains Council and U.S. Meat Export Federation.

Today, part of ICGA’s mandate includes encouraging farmers to be proud of their work and to get involved within the community.

“No matter the level that you are willing to be involved, from being a member engaging in a call-to-action to serving on a county board, it is imperative that we have the resources to continue supporting agriculture at the county, state, federal and global level,” Hora said in the release. “We have been here for Iowa corn farmers for the last 50 years, help us be here with full force for 50 more.”

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.